Ritesh Thakur was arrested about last year in a multi-million dollar drug racket busted jointly by the Toronto Police Organised Crime Enforcement and Drug Squad Major Project Section. Thakur, a Toronto resident, was out on bail at the time he was killed. No arrests have been made.
TORONTO – An Indo-Canadian man allegedly involved in the illicit drug trade who was recently arrested on big cocaine bust charges was shot dead in broad daylight at a plaza in a Toronto suburb.
Ritesh Thakur, 41, a Toronto resident, was out on bail at the time he was killed. No arrests have been made.
Emergency crews were called to a parking lot at Colossus Drive and Weston Road around 4:30 p.m. Thakur’s body was found outside a Home-Sense store, reported Citynews Toronto.
The shooting was likely targeted, police said, but there’s no indication it’s connected to any other recent shooting in Vaughan.
The body of Carmine Verduci, 56, was found in the parking lot of the Regina Sports Cafe, near Highway 7 and Martin Grove Road, on April 24. That shooting was also during the day.
Police are now looking for a newer-model Honda Civic in relation to Thakur’s murder. The silver, four-door vehicle with tinted windows was last seen leaving the plaza before police arrived.
A native of Moga, Punjab, Thakur had settled in Mississauga and was gunned down in an alleged gang war with the mafia.
According to authorities, Thakur was arrested about 11 months ago in a multi-million dollar drug racket busted jointly by the Toronto Police Organised Crime Enforcement and Drug Squad Major Project Section.
Thakur’s accomplices — Philipos Kollaros (33) of Vancouver, Gursharan Singh (29) of Mississauga and Dimitri Alexiou (36) of Quebec — were arrested with him. They all were facing drug trafficking and possession charges. Gursharan and Ritesh were living together in the same locality.
At the time of their arrest, Toronto police seized 62 kg of cocaine, 3 kg of crystal methamphetamine and a small quantity of liquid GHB from them. The drugs had an estimated market value of $6.5 million.
The preliminary investigations showed that Thakur was shot in the parking lot of a shopping mall near highway number 7 and Weston Road, Ontario. The assailants came in a Honda Civic car of silver colour with tinted windows. The cops saw the car leaving the crime scene before they arrived. The murder is believed to have been a targeted crime, which possibly has mafia links.
Back home in Moga, meanwhile Thakur’s brothers Yogesh Thakur and Ashwani Thakur were shocked to hear the news of their brother’s murder. They told the media that Ritesh went to Canada about 13 years ago and was running a hotel in Toronto. They were not aware of their brother’s links with the drugs mafia.
His family said they would bring back the body from Canada and cremation and other rituals would be performed here. Ashwani was preparing to go to Canada to bring back the body.
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